Spacing-machine



G. P. THOMAS.

SFACING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED JULY 2,1919.

1,342,880. Patented June 8, 1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

FIE-LI.

INVENTOR WITNESSES G. P. THOMAS. SPACING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED JULY 2,1919.

m m 9 R Am R W m m m m Jm I! M H +N .H Lwm 03 m mm mm aw v a. P. THOMAS.

SPACING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED JULY 2,1919.

1,342,880. Patented June 8, 1920,

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

WITNESSES g gwwr UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE, PAUL THOMAS, OF GLENSHAXV, PENNSYLVANIA.

SPACING-MAGHINE.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, GEORGE PAUL THOMAS, residing at Glenshaw, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, a citizen of the United States, have invented or discovered certain new and useful Improvements in Spacing-Machines, of which improvements the following is a specification.

My invention relates to machinery for punching structural blanks such as plates, angles, beams, etc., and to machinery for feeding such blanks through a metal punching machine, and the object thereof is to provide a simple and effective machine which may be advantageously used for punching a variety of classes of work.

In the accompanying sheets of drawings which form part of my specification, the preferred embodiment of my invention is illustrated. Figures 1 and 2 are, respectively, plan and side elevations of the punching and spacing machinery; Figs. 3, 4, and 5 are transverse sectional views taken, respectively, on the lines III-III, IVIV and V V, Fig. 2; and Figs. 6 and 7 detached views to enlarged scale of details of constructions explained hereinafter.

The punching machine shown herein, and which may advantageously be used in the practice of some features-of my invention, is of the type in which cooperating punches and dies may, during the operation of the machine, be laterally adjusted upon their respective carriers. While various punching machines of this general character maybe employed, I preferably use the machine shown and described in my co-pending application Serial No. 308,180 filed of even date herewith.

Briefly described, such machine includes a frame 1 provided with a vertically reciproeating head 2 and a stationary anvil 3. Punches 4 are mounted in suitable punch holders 5 slidable upon the reciprocating head 2, and dies 6 are mounted in dieholders 7 slidable upon the anvil 3. In the illustrative embodiment of the punching machine there are shown four punches and four cooperating dies, two of each of which are connected to each other to move in one direction, and the other two connected to each other to move in an opposite direction with respect to the center of the machine. For moving'the two right-hand punches and dies as they areviewed in Fig. 4, the two right-hand punch-holders 5 are pivotally Patented June 8,1920.

Serial No. 308,181.

connected to one end ofa transversely extending link 8 which is pivotally connected at its other end to a vertically disposed arm 9 attached to a laterally movable bar 10. The bar 10 is in turn attached to the tWo right-hand die-holders 7 and to a bar '10, which, in effect, forms a continuation of the bar 10. The lower face of'the bar 10 is provided with a rack 11 adapted to be engaged by the pinion 12 secured to a shaft 13 rotatably mounted in the frame 1. To the shaft 13 there is attached a double-acting ratchet wheel 14 adapted to be moved in one direction or the other by means of a hand lever 15, the pawl or clutch for the ratchet being controlled by a finger 16 at the outer end of the hand lever.

For moving the two left-hand punchholders 5 and die-holders 7 in the opposite direction, simultaneously with the movement of the right-hand punch and die holders, the left-hand punch and die-holders are connected to each other by means of a bar 17 and pivoted link 18 similar to the link 8. The lower face of the bar 17 is provided with a rack 19, which meshes with a pinion 20 rotatably mounted in the frame 1, such pinion also meshing with a rack 21 formed on the upper face of the bar 10*. Thus the movement of the bar 10 to the right will, through the rack 21, pinion 20 and rack 19, cause the bar 17 to move to the left, and the right and left-hand pairs of punches and dies will accordingly'be moved in opposite directions.

As far as concerns some features of my invention the work to be punched may be supported by means of any well known or desired type of work-table. However, for the sake of simplicity of construction and ease of operation, the work is preferably supported upon a plurality of idler rollers or wheels 22 arranged on each side of the punching machine. These rollers may be in dependently rotatably mounted upon shafts 23 carried by supports 24. On the feed table side of the punch, that is to say, the left of the punch as viewed in Figs. 1 and 2, the shafts 23 may extend the entire width of the table, whereas, on the opposite or spacingtable side of the punch, such shafts are preferably divided to permit the passage between them of the work-feeding mechanism.

The feed table may be provided with a plate-centering mechanism 25, and the spacfeed table, the block 27 being provided with a set-screw 29 for engaging the work.

For feeding a'blank through the punch, I preferably provide a bar which may be in the form of a channel 30 extending from one side to the other of the punching machine the full length of a blank to be punched. The channel 30 is preferably arranged centrally, and below the work-supporting plane, of the rollers 22, and has its flanges extending downwardly and bearing upon a'series of rotatably mounted wheels 31 which form a track for the channel. The forward end of the work-feeding channel 30 is provided with means for engaging a blank to be .punched,for example, a plate 32. For this purpose a frame 33, provided with suitable plate-gripping jaws 34, may be mounted upon the back of the channel.

-To move the channel for causing the plate to be fed through'the punching machine, various means may be provided. As shown herein, the lower face of the channel 30 is provided with a rack 36 with which meshes a pinion 37 keyed to a shaft 38. This shaft is preferably rotated by means of operating mechanism arranged adjacent to the punching machinery. One of the means shown herein for rotating the shaft 38 consists of a hand wheel 39 secured to a shaft 40-provided with a pinion 41 which meshes with a pinion 42 keyed to the shaft 38. Instead of rotating the shaft 40 by the hand wheel 39, such shaft may be provided with a beveled pinion 43 meshing with a beveled pinion 44 secured to a rotatably mounted shaft 45 adapted to be turned in opposite directions by means of a hand lever 46, the general construction of the hand lever being such as that. described with reference to the hand lever 15.

Depending upon the class of work being punched, the longitudinal intervals ofmovement of the work may be determined or controlled by means of a templet and indicator, by positively acting stops, or by center marks placed, upon the upper face of the work. In using the indicator manner of determining longitudinal spacing intervals, a templet 47, consisting preferably of a strip of wood upon which the spacing intervals may be marked by transverse lines,

extends over the face of the templet 47 in a position substantially above the shaft 40 so that the workman turning the hand wheel 39 may readily observewhen the marks on the templet 47 register with the indicator.

For controlling the spacing intervals by positive stops, the backof the bar or chan nel 30 may have attached to it suitable detents adapted to be engaged successively by a stop element. When it is desired to punch a large number of plates alike, the stopping detents may take the form of a saw-tooth metal bar 52 bolted or otherwise clamped to the back of the channel by means of brackets 53 secured to the channel. The stop for successively engaging the detents preferably consists of a pawl 54 (Fig- 6) pivoted in a bracket 55 secured to the frame 1 of thepunching machine. To release the pawl from a detent after the pawl has become effective to' arrest the advancing movement of the channel, the reciprocating punching head 2 preferably has attached to ita downwardly extending arm 56, which, as the punching he'addescends, strikes a finger 57 secured. to a rotatably mounted shaft 58, which shaft in turn is. provided with a finger 59 pivotally connected to the outer end of the pawl 54. 7

Instead of using an integral saw-tooth templet 52 for determining the longitudinal spacing intervals, separately adjustable stops may be provided, and for thispurpose a bar 60 (Fig. 7) may be clamped to the channel 30, and upon such bar there may be mounted a plurality of properly spaced separately adjustable stops or dogs 61.

As previously stated, the machine which I provide is capable of operation in several ways depending upon the class or type of work to be punched. For example, when the number of pieces tobe punched and the required punching of such pieces are such as to make it desirable to control the longitudinal spacing intervals by means-of an indicator, a templet 47 havingthe longitudinal spacing intervals marked'thereon may be at tached to the arm 48, and the channel may be progressively engaged for feeding it forwardly by the rotation of the hand wheel 49.

- Instead of using the templet and indicator for determining the longitudinal spacing intervals, the channel 30 may be provided with stopping detents adapted to be engaged successively by the stopping element or pawl 54, the arm 56 releasing such pawl after the channel has been stopped, and just prior to the punching stroke. /Vhen so operating the machine, the workman controlling the ad vance 'of the carriage will turn the hand wheel 39 as soon as the punches have been stripped from the work, so that the pawl 54 will not, in its downward movement, engage the detent which it had previously en aged. The coordination of parts here is suci that the arm 56 maintains :the' detentengaging end'of the pawl 54 in upwardposition until after the punches have been'stripped from the work. lVhenthe punching machineryis being operated either by :the use of an indicator or with positively acting stops, the

punches and dies may be adjusted laterally rangement of holes to be punched is so irregular, both with respect to longitudinal and lateral spacing intervals that, instead of using positively acting stops or an indicator, the location of the holes are advantageously markedupon the work. In punching such class of work, which is found usually in plates for ship-building,'the work to be punched maybe fed forwardly or rearwardly by means ofthe hand lever 46, and the punches and dies may be moved laterally by means of the hand lever 15. Both of these levers, as will be observed, are arranged adjacent to the punch and in such relative positions that an operator may, while observing the plate, manipulate the levers to move the plate forwardly and the punches laterally so that the desired punching may be effected.

The punching of this last-mentioned class of work has usually been effected by means of punching machinery specifically designed for the purpose, in which the punches are maintained in fixed position, and the plates moved both longitudinally and laterally by means of hand-operated mechanism. In the machine which I provide, and which is capable of use with various other classes of work, the longitudinal spacing intervals are eifected by the advance of the work, and the lateral spacing intervals by lateral adjustment of the punches and dies, the movement of the plate and the movement of the punches being effected by instrumentalities operated adjacent to the punching machine. Thus, it being unnecessary in the machine which I provide to move the work laterally, the machine will occupy but one half of the floor space required for the type of machines usually employed for this class of work. In punching this irregular class of work two punches, or two groups of punches may be used, one covering one side of the plate and the other the other, the gags of the punches being controlled to bring into operation the desired punch or punches when the plate and punches are in the proper relative position.

According to the provisions of the patent statutes, I have described the principle and operation of my invention together with the machinery which I now consider to represent the best embodiment thereof. However, I desire to have it understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, my invention may be practised by other forms of construction than that specifically shown and describedherein.

I claim as my invention -l. The combination of a punching machine provided with a reciprocating head and an anvil, means manually operable from a position adjacent to said machine for adjusting said punch and die while the machine is in operation, movable means for engaging a blank to feed it longitudinally through said machine, and means for mov ing said blank-engaging means, said lastmentioned means being manually operable from a position adjacent to said punch and to said punchanddie adjusting means whereby an operator viewing said punch with relation to a blank may simultaneously move the blank longitudinally and the punch laterally.

'2. The combination of a punching machine provided with a reciprocating head and an anvil, a laterally adjustable punch and die borne by said head and anvil, means manually operable from a position adjacent to said machine for adjusting said punch and die while the machine is in operation, a longitudinally movable member extending from one side to the other of said machine and provided with means for attaching said member to a blank to be punched, and means operated from a position adjacent to said punch and to said punch-and-die adjusting means for moving said member, whereby an operator viewing said punch with relation to a blank being punched may simultaneously move the blank longitudinally and the punch laterally.

3. The combination of a punching machine provided with a reciprocating head and an anvil, a laterally adjustable punch and die borne by said head and anvil, means manually operable from a position adjacent to said machine for adjusting said punch and die while the machine is in operation, a longitudinally movable member extending from one side to the other of said machine and provided with means for attaching said member to a blank to be punched, a templet secured to and movable with said member, and means operated from a position adjacent to said punch and to said punch-anddie adjusting means for moving said member, whereby an operator viewing said punch with relation to a blank being punched may move the blank longitudinally and the punch laterally.

4. The combination of a punching machine provided with a reciprocating head and an anvil, a laterally adjustable punch and die borne by said head and anvil, means manually operable from a position adjacent to said machine for adjusting said punch and die while the machine is in operation, a longitudinally movable member extending from one side to the other of said machine and provided with means for attaching said member to a blank to be punched, a templet secured to and movable with said member, said templet being provided with a plurality of stopping elements, a stopping detent for engaging said elements successively, and means operated from a position adjacent to said punch and to said punchand-die adjusting means for moving said member, whereby an operator viewing said punch with relation to a blank being punched may move the blank longitudinally and the punch laterally.

5. The combination of a punching machine provided with a reciprocating head and an anvil, a laterally adjustable punch and die borne by said head and anvil, means manually operable from a position adjacent to said machine for adjusting said punch and die while the machine is in operation,

work supporting idle rollers arranged on each side of said machine, means for engaging the forward and rear end of a blank resting upon said supporting rollers, and means for moving said forward blank-em gaging means to move a blank longitudinally, said last mentioned means being manually operable from a position adjacent to said punch and to said punch and die adjusting means whereby an operator viewing said punch with relation to a blank may simultaneously move the blank longitudinally and the punch laterally.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

GEORGE PAUL THOMAS.

Witnesses:

PAUL N. CRrroHLow, Fa mers J. TOMASSON. 

